Agro is completely broken, Please fix it. Or explain to me what is going on. Thank you.

Smoop · April 2014

So I am with my heavy armor, Dragon knight, sword and board tank buddy and my Nightblade bow wielding buddy in a group.
I also am a Dragon knight but use a resto staff and cloth armor while grouping so I can DPS and support heals.
I have no buffs running, I have no HOTS / DOTS on any group members or mobs.

My two buddies will run off in both directions and start pulling mobs to aoe grind and meet me back in the centre to fight. Sounds simple right ?

This is where things get plain weird. I have not agroed any mobs by proximity or by tagging them with any form of damage but EVERY single mob my friends start gathering run directly to me and start wailing on me which starts me chain casting heals or CC'ing mobs and moving out of damage range.

My tank friend who is using taunt abilities basically can not tank as the mobs are completely intent on killing me.

Is this currently broken ?

I even tried to stand on a cliff above my buddies and said once they gather the mobs I would jump off and join in the frey and we all had a good laugh when the mobs just completely ignored both of them and ran completely out of their way to run around the cliff face to a hill where I climbed into my position.

Surely something is wrong here. If not could someone please explain to me how agro in this game works ?

Zargorius · April 2014

Looks like the mobs are doing the best decision and going after the healer, cool stuff.

raojalaeb17_ESO · April 2014

yeah i think it's the ai iv'e been hearing about in action. you could try to leave the party and get some aoe damage in before they kill them while still healing your friends

Rippah · April 2014

I have seen this same thing.

3 out of 4 people attacking, all mobs agro the 4th guy doing absolutely nothing.

Funny thing, the 4th guy also had cloth, resto staff & support healing & was a Dragon Knight..

How is possible he drew all the agro time after time?

silvestru_liviueb17_ESO · April 2014

If this is the case, then the taunt skill surely must be broken if the tank's hitting mobs with that specific skill but having no effect.

MysticAura · April 2014

Many MMO's I've played have the ai paying attention not just to damage they're taking, but to people who are healing. Taking out the healer is a smart tactic. Try healing only when most needed and not constantly.

Smoop · April 2014

MysticAura wrote: »

Try healing only when most needed and not constantly.

I somehow do not think you read my post. In the two situations I explained above I had not cast any spells or did and damage or agroed by proximity.

Saint_JiubB14_ESO · April 2014

I play sorc, with light armor, and resto but do minimal healing. but this has happened to me. 3 members charge forward, I wait (because I thought I was getting aggro from massive AoE damage), then half the mobs run past my party and go after me, sometimes 75-80% of them. Never really happens with bosses though.

I just wish I had any idea what it was about, so I could work on build/strategies.

it hasn't been a problem, more of an annoyance. so just my observations.

Snugenz · April 2014

I noticed this yesterday in the 20+ dungeons on my DK "Pyromancer", the tank (also a DK) would run into the packs of mobs and they'd just run right past him and to me or to the healer before he even got a heal off.

It does seem to be an AI thing that mobs see clothies as a higher threat. They should make it so the person to first draw aggro gets the most initial hate like most other MMO's that way the tank won't be fighting to overcome the aggro other players have drawn.

Timwiebingb16_ESO · April 2014

Would be kinda easy if everything went straight to the tank right? When pulling just cc/block and give the tank time to use his "taunt" And ofcourse some creeps are immume to taunting. (Like the trolls in the trollcave an some other) Had to get use to this myself.

Smoop · April 2014

Timwiebingb16_ESO wrote: »

Would be kinda easy if everything went straight to the tank right? When pulling just cc/block and give the tank time to use his "taunt" And ofcourse some creeps are immume to taunting. (Like the trolls in the trollcave an some other) Had to get use to this myself.

I was standing on top of a cliff completely away from any combat. Try it out yourself.

Nebb · April 2014

Hehe, I think I'm weird but I actually like that the monsters are somewhat random with their attacks - makes me playing a tank more interesting to having to constantly fight over getting them back

Corndart · April 2014

Somebody alluded to it above, but it'd be a great experiment to try without being in a party and see if you still draw all the agro.

@Timwiebingb16_ESO‌ - For instances, creeps that are immune to taunts yet require a party of 4 to bring down would seem like a bug to me. What would be the point of this type of mechanic? Or are you describing something different?

Rotherhans · April 2014

Yeah, this is not your grama´s WoW anymore.

You better start playing smart, which includes the so-called DPS´s too.

Use that damn block and don´t stand like a deer in headlights on that blinking red piece of land.

Timwiebingb16_ESO · April 2014

Creeps that cant be taunted ussualy have a otherway of dealing with, such as stuns/slows ect. If non of this is possible then its a bug i guess.

And yeah agree with you Nebb it makes things a lot more interesting, xD

BrassRazoo · April 2014

I have done some healing runs and like someone said up above, if the mobs do come to you just block and let wait for your team to pull them off you.
It takes a few hits for the AI to wake up but it does happen.
Then again it does not take much to get them back. It definitely keeps you on your toes.
Maybe they just hate squishies.

Eledra · April 2014

This thing fell me as if restoration staff put above your head gigantic message, "oy don't hit that hard steel armor, this one is only in soft cloth, and yummy too".

$:\$

Hyperventilate · April 2014

I've been noticing this as well. My husband in medium armor Nightblade, I in light armor healer/DPS.

In other games I've known enemies to target healers and/or people in light armor (Also sometimes the lowest health) which is fine and dandy, but usually if someone is generating more threat than I am, the monster will target them, at least for a little while.

I've had monsters my husband aggroed (I am not near the battle nor am I participating) and they will break aggro with him to track me down and beat me to ribbons.

They do seem a little overzealous in this craze to attack me. I'd like aggro to be better explained at least in a dev blog or something.

It's infuriating to have people in a group attempting to pull/threaten/aggro enemies off me and have them go, "You know what? Imma attack that person right there instead." Even if I'm not healing, they target me so I think it has to do with low armor/low health as opposed to healing.

tyvar.thorvaldsonb14_ESO · April 2014

As a 32 DK tank, I find the best way to try and keep agro on a large group is to combine my aoe root, and my cone fire breath, if I can provide the mobs with some damage I get their attention and it tends to minimize the number of mobs that reach the back line. Once the trash is cleared I then use my taunt on the boss and try to keep aggro. So far it's worked out well.

Bluntski · April 2014

Why is this a bad thing? It will require you to use more strategy and make it so you can't just aoe clear a dungeon. Taunts DO work.

Smoop · April 2014

Hyperventilate wrote: »

I've been noticing this as well. My husband in medium armor Nightblade, I in light armor healer/DPS.

In other games I've known enemies to target healers and/or people in light armor (Also sometimes the lowest health) which is fine and dandy, but usually if someone is generating more threat than I am, the monster will target them, at least for a little while.

I've had monsters my husband aggroed (I am not near the battle nor am I participating) and they will break aggro with him to track me down and beat me to ribbons.

They do seem a little overzealous in this craze to attack me. I'd like aggro to be better explained at least in a dev blog or something.

It's infuriating to have people in a group attempting to pull/threaten/aggro enemies off me and have them go, "You know what? Imma attack that person right there instead." Even if I'm not healing, they target me so I think it has to do with low armor/low health as opposed to healing.

You seem to understand what is happening, but unfortunately the majority in this thread think "lol l2p noob" It does not even seem like they have read the thread at all.

You and I are not even participating in the fight and are being attacked from very far away.

oxygen_boarderb16_ESO · April 2014

I've found that the majority of these mobs are the "trash". The dps need to wake up and smash the trash quick and protect your heals. The tank keeps the "main" target busy. If you want full heal/squish expect to go down hard, utility, aoe and defensive skills are a must now in this PvE content.